The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-09
WAGERS.
Big and Eccentric Bets Made by
Wealthy Men for Fun and Money.

From Chambers Journal.
So far as we can go back in the worlds
history we find the rage for making wagers
prevalent. The Romans had great taste
for making wagers and bets, and they had
conventional form of ratifying these con-
tracts, which consisted in taking from the
finger the ring which the higher classes in
variably wore and giving it, into the keep
ing of some third party.
A wager was made early in the last CEN
fury by a banker named Bulliot. He was a
firm believer in the superstition that if rain
fell on st. Swithin's day July 15) it will
also fall, more or less, for forty days after.
st. Swithin's day in the year 1875 was very
wet; and so Bulliot offered to bet any one
who chose to put down his money that the
next forty days would be rainy. So many
persons showed a desire to take up this wager
that its terms were reduced to writing, as
follows: 'If, dating from st. Swithin's day,
it rains more or little during forty days sue
ceSSively, Bulliot will be considered to have
gained; but if it ceases to rain for only one
day during that time Bulliot has lost" On
these terms Bulliot betted against all who
presented themselves He was so confident
of success that he placed money against ar
ticleS of value of every description. People
brought gold-headed canes, snuff boxes,
jewels, even clothes; and Bulliot wagered
as much money against them as he consd-
cred they were worth. When his stock of
cash came to an end he issued notes and bills
of exchange to such an extent that it was
said he had paper money out to the amount
of 100 900 crowns
All this naturally excited great deal of
public curiosity and the rash man found
himself quite fashionable for the time being.
Verses were made in his honor, play was
produced which had him for the hero; in a
word, he attracted as much attention as
though he were monarch or famous states
man. But, unfortunately for Bulliot, st.
Swithin was not true to his character. For
the first twenty-one days of the stipulated
time more or less rain fell The twenty
second day, however, was bright and cloud
less, and night came ON without there being
the slightest sign of rain. Bulliot was
ruined, and ruined so completely that he
was unable to meet the notes and bills that
bore his name The holders of these tried
to enforce payment; but the ancient law did
not recognize debts of this kind any more
than does the law of more modern days.
They were nonsuited and their debts de-
clared irrecoverable.
A foreign prince staying in Paris made a
bet with member of the Imperial Club
that he (the Prince) would, in the course of
the next two hours, be arrested by the po-
lice without committing any offense or pro-
way he won his wager was by dressing him
self in tattered old blouse, pair of moldy
old boots full of holes, and a disreputable
burlesque of a hat Thus attired he walked
up to one of the most aristocratic cafes in
Paris and, seating himself at table, called
for a cup of chocolate. The waiter, as was
only natural, did not care about serving so
suspicous-lool1ing customer before he was
assured that the payment would be forth
coming, so he told the Prince he must pay
in advance.
Upon this his highneSs pulled a bundle of
bank notes out of his pocket and, picking
out one of considerable value, told him to
take the price of the coffee out of it and
bring back the change. The man immedi-
ately went in search of the proprietor of the
cafe, who, when he heard the facts of the
case, ordered the coffee to be served and, at
the same time, sent to the nearest police
station for sergeant de vile. The Prince
was, of course, arrested and taken before a
commisSary of police. He announced his
rank and told his reasons for assuming such
an unprincely costume. The authorities
were obdurate at first but they finally con-
scented to send the Prince under escort to the
Imperial Club, where the gentlemen with
whom the bet had been made proved his
identity and paid his highness the money.
A wager was made in 1906 in the Castle
ward York, between Thomas HodgsOn and
Samuel Whitehead as to which should sue
coed in assuming the most original charac-
ter. Umpires were selected whose duty it
was to decide upon the comparative absurd
ity of the costumes in which the two men
appeared. On the appointed day Hodgson
came before the umplres decorated with
bank notes of various value on his coat and
waistcoat, a row of 5-guinea notes and "A
long netted purse of gold round his hat,
while q piece of paper hearing the words
John Bull" was attached to his back.
Whitehead was dressed like woman on
one side, one-half of his face was painted
and he wore silk stocking and slipper on
one leg. The other half of his face was
BACKED to resemble that of a negro on the
corresponding side of his body he wore a
gaudy, long-tailed linen coat, and his leg
was cased III half a pair of leather breaches
with a boot and spur. One would fancy
that Whitehead must have presented by far
the most singular appearance The umpires
thought differently, however, and awarded
the stakes to Hodgson.
A notorious gambler of the last century
finally ruined himself by very extraordi-
nary bet. He had been playing with Lord
Lorne Their stakes had been very high
and luck had gone steadily against him.
Exasperated at his losses he jumped from
the card table and, seizing large punch
bowl. said: "For once Iii have bet where
| have chance of winning! Odd or even
for 5000 guiDeasN odd" replied the
peer, calmly The bowl was dashed against
The wall and ON the pieces being counted
there proved TO be an odd one The rash
gambler paid up his 5000 guneas but, If
tradition be correct, ii was only by selling
tho last of his estates that he was enabled
to do SO.
There are five electric headlights in use on
+t,o C,levelaid Akron and Columbus rail